Monday, October 27, 2008

I've heard it said that Rush Limbaugh controls the religious base of the Republican Party. He has never been a fan of McCain who is too independent minded. But on one issue, McCain succumbed to Rush's directive. McCain selected Sarah Palin to appease Rush and his right-wing-religious-wingnut base.

Here's my thought for the day...is it possible that Rush sabotaged McCain for his own agenda? Is it possible that Rush wants Obama to win?

Think about it.

It gives him job security.

If McCain had won - with a rational pick for VP - who would care much what Rush says? But if Obama wins - Rush has at least 4 more years to stir the pot and build up his right-wing-religious-wingnut party!

(Post-script - I believe I may have been wrong in calling the right-wing-religious-wingnut group "Neocons" in a previous post. I am not 100% sure now what a neocon is, but it was pointed out to me that it is not what I thought it was. I've done a little digging and all I can really find is that it revolves around this particular group's ideology as it relates to foreign policy. I don't have a problem admitting when I'm wrong - but now I'm in need of a label for this group. For now, i call them "right-wing-religious-wingnuts" - meaculpa!)

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

A friend of mine with deep roots in Israel found this on an Israeli newspaper website - with video from Al-Jazeera (how's that for irony). I don't know about anyone else out there, but I was just sickened and stunned by some of what is shown here. I believe if McCain had gone with his true nature as a moderate republican instead of caving to the extreme right of the GOP party, that we wouldn't be seeing nearly as much of this divisiveness.

I respect the right-wing-religious-wingnuts right to express their views as long as it's not filled with hate-speech and violent-inciting rhetoric. And I support their right to have a party that supports their views...but I do not respect how they've bullied their way into the republican party and virtually taken it over. I used to be a republican (many many years ago). The GOP party used to be the party known for its intellect and common-sense solutions. Now they're quickly becoming known as the party of extremism where they think anyone who doesn't see the world as they do are evil or terrorists. Their agenda is no longer one of fiscal conservatism, but of social and moral conservatism. Fiscal conservatism has taken a back-seat to people who think they are the only "pro-American" people. People's who's agenda is to legislate their morality into everyones lives.

I believe this is the main reason Colin Powell is endorsing Obama. It's not so much an endorsement for Obama as it is against the GOP that has gone astray from it's roots and now only focuses on injecting their personal views on gays, abortion, guns, etc, into everyones life. The GOP used to believe (as McCain still does) that these personal issues should be decided at the personal level. What's right for you isn't necessarily what's right for me.

This is a dangerous path indeed and has pushed me further and further left as time passes...

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Today is National Coming Out day, and I'm celebrating how far society has come while simultaneously lamenting how far we have yet to go.

Yesterday after work, my daughter Kaitlyn picked me up from work and we went to a local gathering of GLBT people and supportive people like myself to recognize the the progress that's been made, and discuss the work that's yet to be done.

My best friend is gay. We've known each other since we were in second grade, and since the second grade I've known he was different. Of course once we were in puberty I was able to identify it and understand it better, but no one can tell me that at age 8 it was a choice for him! It wasn't. I get so irate when I hear people making the claim that homosexuality is a choice and they can be "cured" - what a crock! Honestly, if given a choice, don't you think young kids would choose the easier path instead of choosing to live such a difficult path? Being a gay teenage boy in the late 70's and early 80's was a very difficult road indeed.

During the VP debate, and through clenched teeth, Sarah Palin said she's tolerant of gays. Tolerant! But her obvious disdain for them betrayed her.

Here's the message we need to be promoting: Tolerance is just the first step. It's the bottom rung of a ladder we need to climb. People tolerate mosquitos, people tolerate dentistry. Society needs to do more than tolerate, we need to love.

One of the speakers particularily inspired me when she said we need to do more than tolerate, and beyond acceptance we need to celebrate! She inspired me to create this graphic represtation of the path we need to focus our energy. I challenge all of you to love and celebrate our gay brothers and sisters!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Yesterday, in response to a comment I made about what a challenging job the next president was going to face with our economic disaster, a colleague of mine said that actually he thought the future next president was in a pretty good spot because it can't get much worse than it is now...it can only get better.

At first, I thought there was probably some truth to that (and I genuinely hope he is prophetically correct). But last night we went to a volunteer recognition dinner where my daughter was being recognized for her outstanding volunteerism, and something was said there that made me re-think my colleague's hypothesis.

First, you need to know a little bit about the volunteer organization. It is CFR, Community Food Response. They are a local organization who three times a week goes around to various organizations such as restaurants, grocery stores, and school/work cafeteria's and collects food that would otherwise be discarded. They bring it back to their base of operations and repackage it into smaller containers and then open the doors at 5pm and hand it out to hungry families that have signed up for the program.

So, the president of the board said over the last month they've seen a dramatic increase in the need for their services so they are out stumping for more food providers to become part of the network. When he said this, in my minds eye - quite unconsciously - I had an image of a white canary. You know - the ones they sent into the coal mines as an early warning system for toxic gases! When I became aware of the vision in my head, I realized it was my subconscious telling me that this increase in needy people for CFR's food is an early warning sign of things to come.

I've been pondering that image ever since. Is there really no where to go but up? After much thinking and ruminating about it, my gut is telling me no. It could get MUCH MUCH worse.

I'm not an economics genius, but I do remember my Econ and Finance classes from my MBA quite well. What I remember most is how intricately intertwined EVERYTHING is to EVERYTHING when it comes to money. Although I've heard lots of talk about how the credit market seizing would cause unemployment - possibly mass unemployment - I haven't heard much about how our cities' and states' budgets are tied up in the same mess. Fewer loans being made means fewer people being able to afford home ownership. More houses sitting empty and in foreclosure means less revenue for our cities. Besides unemployment - we could see whole cities and states going bankrupt. If Iceland can teeter on the brink of bankruptcy, what makes us think it won't happen all over our country in our municipalities and states?

I am usually a very optimistic person, and indeed, if you read my blog much you know that I have subscribed to the hope mantra of the Obama campaign and do believe if he is elected that there is indeed hope! However, I also believe that things are much graver and more dire than we are being told. Obama gives me hope that the white canaries I see all around us will not wither and die, but instead will not only survive, but emerge stronger and healthier than before. Keep the hope alive!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Obama clearly won the debate last night on substance, but also on style. McCain is an embarrassment to his profession (and almost to humanity)! I was so embarrassed for him, it made it hard to watch. Presidential he is not. Obama knew just the right way to behave. Every time McCain lied (which was pretty much anytime his mouth was moving), Obana just sat there and flashed his disarming smile. It was almost as if his smile erected a force-field protecting him from all the crap that McCain was spewing.

There were a couple questions that I thought Obama could have answered more clearly, but the overall message and tone from him was far superior than from McCain.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome President "That One" to the podium!

Sunday, October 5, 2008

All along I've been saying that "maverick" is just another word for foolish risk-taker. McCain takes crazy risks to get what he wants, and it has left him looking desperate, erratic, and sometimes downright stupid. He "postponed" his campaigning so he could charge into Washington and save the day - an obvious political ploy that backfired on him. His selection of Sarah Palin illuminated his risk-taking nature. Prior to her selection, McCain was spending millions on ads denouncing Obama as just a celebrity, but how much did we hear about Obama's celebrity once McCain had created his own celebrity in Palin? But most scary is that she's horribly unqualified to become President and McCain doesn't seem to mind that risk on our behalf (likely because he thinks he's immortal)! McCain has risked his entire bid, and indeed his entire reputation, trying to become President.

So, with less than 30 days to the election, I guess it should come as no surprise to me that McCain's next big risk he's obviously decided to make is to turn up the ugly machine. Elections should be about the issues, and Obama has endeavored to keep the discourse there. But, McCain can't win on the issues - so his last recourse is personal character attacks, and guilt-by-association tactics, as evidenced by Palin's recent charges that Obama pals around with terrorists, and her dredging up of the Reverend Wright crap again (even against McCain's earlier proclamations that this was off limits). Obama will have no option now but to go on the offensive. If he doesn't, it will be swiftboating all over again.

Strap your shit-kicking waders on, because it's gonna get deep and dirty before this is all over.